A New Tenant
by GlazedAndConfused
Summary: AU, LH x Eva crossover. Yep. It's another frequently explored 'new tenant' fic. Nope, it's not a self insert, thank God. Who is the tenant? Find out for yourself... [Chapter 3 Up]
1. A New Arrival

**::: A New Tenant :::**

by

_- GlazedAndConfused -_

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**DISCLAIMER**

TokyoPop and Ken Akamatsu own Love Hina; I don't. If I did, I'd not be writing this; I'd be making a manga out of it instead.

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"..." - denotes speech.  
"(...)" - denotes whispering.  
_Italics_ denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.

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**_Chapter One_ :::** _Arrival

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____"Next stop is Hinata Town... Hinata Town._"

A young boy, presumably a teenager, stood from his chair and stepped off the tram, onto the platform of the station, hoisting his rucksack over his shoulder. He looked around, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at his surroundings. It was completely different to his hometown, but still nice enough, and a lot more serene and tranquil. There were a few people walking around the streets, mainly couples and groups of friends, making him look like an outcast in a way. He had been around the rest of Hinata in search of accommodation, but was unable to find anywhere thathad any vacancies. Either that, or the prices of some of them were out of his price range.

Taking a piece of folded up paper out of his pocket and unfolding it, he read through it before starting to make his way through the town, going in the directions that the sheet had written on it. Eventually, he found himself at the bottom of a particularly large flight of stone steps, and looked up.

"Hinata Sou... so this is the place I was told of."

He stood at the top of the massive stone steps that led to the old but nevertheless elegant, charming old inn. Or, at current times, an all girl's dormitory; a place where no man would be safe, as Keitaro, the hapless _kanrinin_, could testify, being smashed through the walls and the ceilings day in, day out. The calm summer breeze weaved in and out the long strands of his hair - which looked like a light brown with a shade of grey - blowing them around slightly. Putting the folded up piece of paper in the pocket of his black trousers he inhaled deeply, and breathed back out. Adjusting the collar on his white button-up shirt as it billowed in the wind, he stood perfectly still, admiring the giant structure that stood before him that looked as if it were about to tower over him and engulf him at any given moment. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, a smile forming on his almost pure white face.

"Such an elegant building. I was told it was big, but I never thought that it would be this... massive." He paused in thought. "Hmm... if I remember correctly, I passed a tea shop at the bottom of these steps on my way here?"

He hoisted his backpack over his shoulders and onto his back, slowly starting the second of the seemingly endless journeys down the giant stone steps towards the Hinata Tea Shop, taking as much time as he wanted to admire the picturesque scenery around him. The sky was clear, with thin wisps of silky-looking clouds scattered across the sky. He opened the door and walked in, the bell above the door ringing as he entered. The inside of the tea shop looked quaint and homely enough, a few customers either talking to each other over a hot drink of tea or just sitting alone, reading the daily newspapers. Haruka Urashima walked out from a small room behind the counter wearing her usual café garb, with her ever-present cigarette hanging from ther corner of her mouth. He walked over to the counter, wearing a polite smile on his face as he sat on a stool.

"How can I help you?" Haruka asked in her usual indifferent voice.

"I've a question about the inn at the top of the stone steps." The teenager replied. "I was wondering... are there any vacancies? I need somewhere to stay."

"I'm afraid there's a bit of a problem in that department," the Urashima woman muttered. "You see, the building used to be an inn. But the woman who originally owned it turned it into an all-girls dormitory." Inwardly, she was glad that the young wanderer hadn't had the incentive to actually go inside and look for someone unknown to her. If that had happened, things could well have turned out the way they did when Keitaro first arrived at the dormitory; getting off on the wrong foot with the residents after a mishap in the women's hot springs between the former _ronin_ and Naru Narusegawa, the auburn-haired _Toudaisei_, leading to a chase to the rooftop that culminated in him getting attacked before the intervention of Haruka.

Even so, he did not look like the type of person who was not cursed with such bad luck as Keitaro.

Then again, _nobody_ could be _that_ bad.

Surely?

The teenager's face never lost the polite smile it wore, though a hint of disappointment could be seen in his eyes. "I see. Never mind, I'll look elsewhere." He said, taking his duffel bag and bowing politely. "Thank you for your time."

Haruka smiled slightly as she turned around and started to prepare a drink, the coffee machine on the worktop whirring as it did it's task. "There aren't any other inns or hotels around here for miles. But I wouldn't worry about it, though; my nephew is the _kanrinin_. I'll explain your situation to him, and he's bound to understand - after all, he was in the same position himself when he first came here." She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall above the door. "I'll be finishing in about half an hour. Why don't you go up there and wait?"

"_Hai_. Oh... where's my manners? _Arigato_." The teenager picked up his duffel bag and walked towards the exit, opening the door and closing it behind him.

* * *

The young wanderer made his way up the stone steps for the third time that day, the journey up the steps never losing it's feeling of endlessness. He reached the top again and walked closer to the building, noticing the sign that was to the left of the door; 'Girls Dormitory: Hinata House'. _So, she was right,_ he thought. _She did tell me to wait up here, so I assume there's no harm in waiting in the lobby. Though... I should still watch my step; I don't want them thinking that I'm a pervert or a peeping tom_. He slid the door open cautiously and stepped inside, sliding it shut. He removed his shoes and placed them near three other pairs on the floor next to the door. The silence within the complex was penetrated only by the monotonous ticking of the clock on the wall. Walking further inside slowly, he adjusted the shoulder strap on his duffel bag and looked around at the surroundings. Removing his bag, he sat down on one of the sofas and placed the bag by his feet, taking out a CD player. He placed the earphones in his ears and started playing what sounded like classical music. After a few moments, he noticed a woman with short, sandy brown hair walk down the stairs, holding a bottle of saké in one hand and a small cup in another. What was odd about her was that her eyes were closed, giving her face a fox-like look. She stopped as she noticed the teenager, and walked over to him.

"Hi," she said. "Can I help you?"

He removed the earphones and pressed the 'Pause' button on his CD Player, smiling politely. "No, I'm just waiting for the woman who owns the café at the bottom of the stairs. She told me to wait here for her."

"I see." She took a seat next to him, placing the bottle and cup on the table in front of them. "You're pretty young," the fox-eyed woman commented. "How old are you --"

"Kitsune-_san_?" A petite girl with short, neck-length violet hair and shimmering blue eyes came walking out of one of the other rooms. "Is that you?" She noticed the teenager sat next to her fox-eyed friend. "O-Oh! _Gomen_... I didn't know we had a guest."

The teenager smiled up at her, his eyes meeting hers. "Hello there," he said. "I'm not a guest. I was just told to wait up here for someone."

The woman named Kitsune grinned and slipped an arm around him. "Oh, really?" she cooed, shifting closer to him as her grin widened. "Shinobu-_chan_, that's not what he told me..." She started running a finger up and down his chest. "He said he came up here for a secret rendezvous with me --"

"Kitsune-_san_!!"

"_Yare yare_..." She opened the bottle and took a large swig directly from it, a sigh escaping from her as she pulled the bottle away from her lips. "Ahh..."

"What's going on down here?" came another voice from the top of the steps. Looking up, the three already in the room noticed a raven-haired girl dressed in a button-up white shirt and black dress with a black necktie, a black cat with abnormally large ears and a bell on it's tail, giving out a purr as it rubbed the side of it's head against her neck. She had an emotionless look on her face as she slowly walked down the stairs and up to the three, walking up to the three. Her attention was directed to the teenager. "May I help you?"

"I'm just waiting for the owner of the café at the bottom of these steps." He replied, still smiling politely.

"Hey, Kanako," Kitsune asked. "Where's Keitaro gone? When I came back, him and Naru were gone."

"Him and Naru have gone to the _Toudai_ campus for information about their courses," the girl named Kanako replied.

"Okay."

All of them were alerted to the sound of the double doors opening up and sliding shut again, revealing three other girls. One was another raven-haired girl, taller than Kanako. She was dressed in a white _gi_ and crimson _hakama_, carrying a training kendo _bokken_ in one hand and a bag of what looked like training kit in another. The second was obviously a _gaijin_, with tanned skin, rosy cheeks, blonde hair anddeep green eyes, wearing a school uniform. The other one was also a blonde-haired _gaijin_, except she was a lot paler and hadblue eyes. "_Tadaima_!"Theebony-haired girlcalled, but stopped as soon as she noticed the boy sat on the sofa. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, not the best of intentions in mind. She lowered her _bokken_ as she slowly approached.

"Hiyas!" The tanned girlgreeted cheerily,a bright smile adorning her face."Are you here to play with me and Sarah?"

"Who is he, and why is he here?" the kendo girl hissed, her aura slowly but surely beginning to increase in hostility.

"Hello," the teenager said. "I'm waiting here for the owner of the café at the bottom of the steps."

Motoko was not convinced. She pointed her _bokken_ at him and glared menacingly. "Pervert...you tried defiling poor, innocent Shinobu-_chan_, didn't you?"

His face lost the smile and was replaced by a neutral one. "There's nothing perverted in just sitting here the whole time."

"Enough of your lies! This is an all girl's dormitory; you are a male, therefore you have no right to be here. Now, leave before I throw you out myself."

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "For one so young, you are full of such hostility."

"What did you just say?!" Motoko's eyes flashed an ominous glint of red as she readied her _bokken_ to attack. A potential fight - or, to phrase it more appropriately,one-sided attack which would have resulted in the murder of a normal person before long - was averted when their attention was switched to the opening and closing of the sliding front doors again. Haruka, Keitaro and Naru walked into the lobby.

"Eh? What's going on here?" Keitaro and Naru asked at the same time, noticing the grouping of the rest of the tenants around the sofa.

"Oh, hey there," Haruka said, waving at the young teenager sat on the couch, who waved back.

"Haruka-_sempai_," Motoko enquired. "Who is this pervert?"

The older Urashima smirked mentally. _I see he's met Motoko, then..._ She cleared her throat and put her hand on the sandy-haired teenager's shoulder. "He came into my café earlier today, enquiring if this was an inn and had any vacancies. I informed him of the situation, but I told him that there is a chance Keitaro might let him stay here, as he has nowhere else to go."

"He is not staying here, if that is what you are implying!" Motoko hissed.

Haruka frowned slightly. "The last time I checked, you weren't in charge, Motoko; Keitaro was." Motoko opened her mouth to speak again, but slowly closed it. Haruka turned to face the _kanrinin_. "So, Keitaro, what's your decision?"

Keitaro walked up to the teenager and stood in front of him, smiling politely. "I see no reason why he can't stay, but for the sake of the girls, I'lllet himtell his side of the story before coming to a decision."

The teenager reciprocated the smile. "_Arigato_." He cleared his throat. "By birth, I'm from Nagasaki. I have lived there for nearly all my life. I have no parents, for they died in an accident when I was still young. Up until now, I have lived in an orphanage. But the problem is, I don't like it there; I just don't feel settled enough. I took a leave of absence of sorts so I could have the opportunity to travel."

"But what about your education?" Haruka asked.

"I moved to the Hinata High School, as part of the exchange student scheme," he continued. "I searched for accommodation all around the other districts of this town, but there were either no vacancies, or the price range was too high. This was the only place I could find in this area."

"I told you, this is an all-girl's dormitory," Motoko stated. "This property is no place for perverted males such as yourself. Take your bags and leave."

"Motoko-_chan_..." Haruka said, sending a withering glare in her direction. "Let the boy finish."

"What do you think, Keitaro?" Naru asked.

Keitaro stood silently for a moment, his lips pursed in thought with a hand on his chin. After a few moments, he came to a decision. "Well, I see no problem with him staying here. His reasons for coming seem genuine enough."

Motoko and Naru shot up, both with angry looks on their faces. "WHAT?!?!?!"

"Keitaro," Naru said. "You're not letting him stay here! Having you here is bad enough, but he could try perverted stuff on Su, Sarah and Shinobu!"

"She is right," Motoko acquiesced, glaring at the teenager. "Who knows what he could do to those three... he might even walk in on us while we're in the hot springs!"

"Not that Imind that..." Kitsune teased seductively, grinning.

"Kitsune-_san_!"

"Okay, okay... you two just can't take a joke..." she replied, taking another swig from her saké bottle.

"Come on, you two," Keitaro said in an attempt to reason. "He doesn't look like that type of person. Besides, he has nowhere else to go... and we have several spare rooms here, so he could use one of those." He turned back to the teenager. "So, welcome to Hinata So --" Hewas unable to finishas Naru landed a direct hit with her fist on his jaw, sending him crashing through the front doors, skidding across the stony ground and down the stairs, several cries of pain being heard as he fell.

Haruka shook her head disappointedly. _That girl will never change..._ She turned to the teenager. "So, what's your name?"she asked.

The teenager stood up in front of everyone and bowed politely. "My name is Kaworu... Kaworu Nagisa. Nice to meet you all."

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**::: _END CHAPTER ONE_ :::

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**

**::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::**

...Don't even bother asking. I just HAD to write a fic that included Kaworu Nagisa from Evangelion as one of the tenants. Let's just say I gave in to temptation. I would have used Shinji rather than Kaworu, but I felt that the latter would be a more interesting character to 'experiment' with. Ahem... I know Kaworu doesn't really come from Sapporo (well, he's an Angel in Evangelion, so...); I just made it up.

I know this chapter is short. Then again, all of the first chapters of my stories are, usually at between 2000 - 3000 words long. I'm hoping to make the next chapter around 7,000 - 10,000 words long; a new record.:P

This story will borrow a few facets from both the anime/manga.

Anyway, as stated in the summary, the story is an AU, and the title is only temporary since I can't think of a good one. If anyone has any suggestions for a new one, it'll be much appreciated.

Blah blah blah... all feedback welcome... blah de blah blah blah.


	2. Introductions And Explorations

**::: A New Tenant :::**

by

_- GlazedAndConfused -_

* * *

"..." - denotes speech.  
"(...)" - denotes whispering.  
_Italics_ denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue. 

See Chapter 1 for the disclaimer.

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**_Chapter Two_ :::** _Introductions And Explorations

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_

A short while later, everyone was gathered in the kitchen. With the exceptions of Haruka, Keitaro, Kanako and Kaworu, everyone was sat down at the table. Naru and Motoko - not surprisingly - directed scornful looks; the auburn-haired _Toudaisei_ at Keitaro, Motoko at the young teenager, who only countered her glare with his trademark smile of politeness. The ominous glints in their eyes were all too familiar to the _kanrinin_, who was torn between standing between the Aoyama girl and the teenager, but was also fearful of his own safety, as defending the newcomer would have consequences he'd rather not think about - at all. Kitsune looked on with her usual fox-like expression. Kanako had a look of indifference on her face, as did Su - in fact, the young _gaijin_ and her counterpart, Sarah, were too busy playing to pay attention. The young Maehara girl had a strange expression on her face; one that was a mix between happiness - for whatever reason - and nervousness. She knew that it'd take a bit of time to become accustomed to having another male, other than Keitaro - who she had the biggest of crushes on - living in the dormitory.

"Haruka-_sempai_," Motoko tried protesting. "I do not see why you have to introduce us to him. We already know who he is; another typical male. Having Urashima living with us is bad enough, but another male... that is just preposterous!"

"That may well be," Haruka replied, ignoring her 'typical male' remark and the last sentence, "but he doesn't know who any of you are, does he?"

"I would rather him know my name, and nothing more."

The older Urashima woman shook her head and extinguished the cigarette in her mouth. She walked over to Motoko, standing behind her while placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is Motoko Aoyama, heir to the Shinmei Ryu school of kendo. I wouldn't get on the wrong side of her if you don't want to end up on the business end of that _katana_ of hers," she said with a smirk." She walked over to Naru. "This is Naru Narusegawa, one of the three _Toudai_ students living here. Like Motoko, she has a short temper, so it's best not to get her annoyed. This is Shinobu Maehara," she said, placing her hand on Shinobu's shoulder. "She is the resident cook here, and also goes to the same school you transferred to." She placed her hands on the shoulders of both Su and Sarah. "These two little devils are Kaolla Su and Sarah McDougal. Su goes to the same school, too." She walked over to Kanako. "This is my niece, Kanako. She is Keitaro's brother, though they are not related by blood. She has no objections to males staying here as far as I know, but she will strongly defend Keitaro if anyone were to pose a threat." She placed her hands on Kitsune's and Mutsumi's shoulders. "These two are Mitsune Konno and Mutsumi Otohime. You can guess why Mitsune is called 'Kitsune'. Mutsumi is one of the _Toudai_ students, alongside Keitaro and Mutsumi." She smiled. "Well, that's the introductions done."

Everyone stood up and left the kitchen, going back to their daily activities. Kitsune went back to lounging around in the lobby, surfing through the channels for any decent soap operas; her bottle of saké at hand. Motoko went back onto the roof to practice her katas. Su and Sarah went back to the room of the former, possibly to create more contraptions of mischief and destruction. Mutsumi decided to go out to the hot springs, with Naru deciding to go out with her in case she had one of her patented fainting spells while outside. Shinobu also decided to go out for a bath with the two _Toudai_ students, leaving only Haruka, Kanako, Keitaro and Kaworu.

"Well, let's go and see which rooms are available for you." Kanako said.

Keitaro went to pick up the young teenager's bags, only for a pallid hand to be placed on his arm. Following the trail of the arm, Keitaro looked up to see Kaworu standing next to him; his trademark smile not leaving his face. "_Kanrinin_-_san_," Kaworu started, picking up his bags and other personal belongings. "I know you are in charge of this building, but don't burden yourself with taking my luggage up for me."

With that, they went upstairs in search of a room. Keitaro led the way with Kanako at his side, followed by Haruka.

* * *

About two hours later after settling into his new room, Kaworu was sat on his futon, leaning against the wall. Again, he was listening to his portable CD player, humming to the tune of 'Ode To Joy' by Beethoven. His room was darkened slightly, with a few traces of the summer sun filtering through the curtains. He stared up at the ceiling, smiling. _This place reminds me so much of the orphanage..._ he thought, _except that it feels a lot easier to settle into. A very quaint little place, too._ A slight smirk formed on his almost pure white features. _What a colourful bunch it is that live here. Though, I will have to watch my step around Naru and Motoko_. He stood up and stretched his arms and legs, then walked over to the balcony, admiring the picturesque view before him. The sun was at it's peak over thenot-so-distant sea,making the blue waters shimmer in the glistening light, adding to the beauty of the scene._Such a lovely view..._ He stared out for a few moments before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Mitsune 'Kitsune' Konno, the resident fox, grinning at him. 

"Kitsune-_san_?" He said, confused. "How did you get in here without me hearing my door opening?"

"I have my ways; besides, you had your earphones on," the foxy lady replied, placing her hands behind her back. "I can tell you're still slightly in two minds about Naru and Motoko. I wouldn't worry; they're really good girls once you get to know them."

"Hmm," Kaworu agreed in reply. "I don't think that's on their list of priorities, however." Kitsune giggled. "Then again, I suppose we didn't really get off to the best of starts."

"There you go, you have nothing to worry about!" Kitsune exclaimed. After a few moments of silence passed by, she spoke up again. "So, Kaworu-_san_, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. Truth be told, I'm not particularly interested in having a girlfriend just yet. Back in Nagasaki, there were a few girls that liked me. Some liked me for my personality. The others liked me for my looks... something I never understood. I don't particularly think I'm that good-looking," he said, still smiling. "Besides, I didn't really have that many friends either."

Kitsune's grin disappeared from her face. "You must have been so lonely," she said in a sympathetic tone; different from her usual carefree, playful attitude. "It must have been unbearable, not really having any friends."

Kaworu shook his head. "That didn't bother me, really," he continued."While I did have two or three friends, I didn't mind being alone, either."

The fox-eyed woman put a hand of genuine sympathy on his shoulder, staring into his crimson eyes. "But... why did you choose to spend most of your childhood alone?"

"I got used to that after living at the orphanage for so long. Loneliness didn't seem to be such a big deal."

"But you must have socialised, surely?"

"_Hai_, occasionally. I was always the explorative type, wanting to go to new places. This is one of the places I wanted to come to."

Kitsune smiled. "Well, it sure is a nice place..." she said, following his gaze to the view that stood before them. "It reminds me of why I came here in the first place."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is that?"

"I too used to go to Hinata High School. So did Naru. I originally lived in Osaka, but you know how far it is between here and there... so, I moved here to be nearer to school. That was when I met Naru."

"I see. What's the school like?"

"It's not too bad. A quaint little place, really. Have to wear uniform, though."

At that moment, the partition door to Kaworu's room slid open, revealing the stoic kendo girl, Motoko Aoyama; her _bokken_ in hand. Walking halfway into the room, she stood in front of the new tenant with her arms crossed, her porcelain-like face marred by an antagonistic scowl at the fact that he and Kitsune were alone together. "I hope you were not trying to do someting to Kitsune-_san_, Nagisa." She spoke, noticing the closeness in proximity between the two and emphasising her sentence by tapping her _bokken_ against her shoulder.

"We were just talking, Motoko." Kitsune said.

"As long as it was that and nothing more." She replied, glaring at the teenager who did not seem to flinch even when placed under such scrutiny, which surprised her. "Anyway. I was asked to tell you two that dinner will be ready soon, so I suggest you two come down in time for it." She shot a final glare at Kaworu and mouthed the words, 'Remember, you touch her; you feel my wrath'. This proved to be useless as the younger teenager still smiled at her while brushing some of his grey-brown hair back, making her shudder inwardly as she walked out. Taking this as their cue, the fox-eyed woman and the red-eyed teenager left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen.

Down in the kitchen, Kaworu sat down at the table in between Shinobu and Mutsumi. During the meal, the teenager took the time totake a few glancesat the people around him. He noticed Kanako occasionally staring wistfully at her _oniichan_. _Strange_, he thought. _Judging by this display, it seems they are more like lovers rather than siblings_. He glanced over in Su's direction, and noticed her consumption of almost her own bodily weight - if not more -in food at a fast rate. _Wow. Where does it all go?_ Glancing over at Kitsune, he noticed her taking the occasional swig from her bottle of saké. _I don't know how she can drink that much at once and still come back for more_.Motoko and Naru stared occasionally at the newcomer, making sure that he 'kept in line'.

At one point during the meal, Kaworu reached for the soy sauce. Shinobu reached for it at the same time, and their hands made contact. Looking up at each other, Shinobu blushed a furious shade of red while the former just lightly chuckled, moving his hand aside as if it were no big deal. "Go ahead, you use it first, Shinobu-_chan_." Of course, this little exchange didn't go unnoticed by Motoko, as she stood up angrily.

"Nagisa, I warned you... keep your hands off Shinobu-_chan_..." she growled, her eyes emitting a dark red glint.

"Motoko-_chan_, it was merely an accident. We reached for it at the same time." He coolly replied, closing his eyes.

"You may try to deceive the others with your lies, but you will not deceive me!"

"There is nothing to lie about. It was an accident."

"Enough! You deception has gone on for long enough!" She walked around to him and readied her _bokken_ to attack. As she lowered the long weapon to strike, though, she encountered resistance as it came within a foot of him, with a bright orange, hexagonal-shaped flash emitting from the point of contact. Needless to say, not only was she surprised, but so were the other residents; their thoughts more or less along the same wavelength.

_Wow! Do that again!_

_W-What the..._

_What was that?_

_Ara ara..._

_Hmm..._

_How is that possible? He didn't even move!_

Motoko simply stared in shock, her eyes widened and her mouth slightly agape. After a few moments, she stood back. "What kind of inhuman being are you?! What was that?!" she shrieked, her face contorting into one of fury again.

"This is the sacred light of oneself." Kaworu simply stated."The safeguard of a person's soul; territory where no person should be allowed to intrude. Think of it as a barrier to the mind of an individual."

"What are you talking about, foul being?!"

"It is called an AT-Field."

"B-But... how? How does it form?"

"It comes as a natural occurrence to me."

The kendo girl was at a loss for words. Unable to conjure any coherent thoughts, she simplywalked back over to the opposite side of the table. "Hmph. You were lucky this time, Nagisa." she hissed, taking her seat.

The rest of the dinner period passed with everyone wondering what had just unfolded in front of them, occasionally sneaking glances at the new tenant.

* * *

Later, dinner had passed with nothing else noteworthy occuring, other than Motoko keeping an extra watchful eye on the new tenant. It was now night time. Kaworu was laid on the roof overlooking the majority of the small coastal town, idly staring up at the navy blue sky with his head resting on his hands, his earphones in his ears as helistened to'Ode To Joy' again. He looked at the stars, which seemed to sparkle brightly like diamonds. The moon was full, and looked like a silver platter; it's faint light giving the waters of the sea a crystalline appearance. The buildings that were below them were lit up with yellow lights from inside, making the view more beautiful. _This place looks even more beautiful during the night..._ he thought, remaining in the position he was already in. So q_uiet and peaceful..._ The only sounds that could be heard were the lapping of the waters of the hot spring behind him on the ground floor against the rocks, the leaves swaying in the gentle summer breeze and the cicadas clicking. He heard the soft shuffling of footsteps coming up the steps onto the balcony from the inside of the old building. The same footsteps made their way onto the roof behind him. 

"Hello, Shinobu-_chan_," Kaworu greeted, his eyes not even so much as leaving the sky.

Shinobu stopped as she neared. _H-H-How did he know it was me?_ She sat down next to him, holding on to his shoulder for support as she did so. "_Ano_, Nagisa-_san_..."

"Please, Kaworu will do."

"Okay... um, Kaworu-_san_... how did you know that was me coming up behind you?"

Kaworu smiled. "I could read your _ki_ signals as you neared; your _ki_ is at peace, yet at the same time nervous. Is it me you're nervous around? If so, then you needn't be."

"H-_Hai_... _gomen_." An uncomfortable silence - mainly for the young Maehara girl - passed between the two before Shinobu spoke up again. "What music are you listening to?"

Her male counterpart removed one of the earpieces from his ear and placed it into her ear. "'Ode To Joy' by Beethoven," he replied. For a few moments more, another silence passed before Shinobu broke it, sounding more relaxed. "It's very relaxing."

"_Hai_. I think music is one of the best creations of man. It revitalises the soul and brings joy to those that listen to it."

"I agree. _Ano_... Kaworu-_san_?"

"_Hai_?"

"About earlier, when Motoko-_sempai_ went to strike you... what was that thing that blocked her attack?"

Kaworu took a deep breath. "It is an AT-Field. I was told that I was born with it, for an unknown reason. It is a barrier that defends me from any form of conventional attack; such as when Motoko-_chan_ tried attacking me."

"Only you have it, then?"

"No. That's far from the truth. You have one. Motoko-chan has one. In fact, everybody in this world has an AT-Field." Noticing the confused look on Shinobu's face, he continued to explain. "The AT-Field that every human being possesses is literally a wall that separates your individual identity from other egos and external reality."

"I see..."

Kaworu smiled again, brushing some of his hair behind his ears. "It is very difficult to explain, so I'll just leave it at that." Shinobu nodded meekly in response. "You know, Shinobu-_chan_, you're a very good cook. I thoroughly enjoyed dinner today; it was exquisite."

Shinobu only blushed in response. "A-A-A-_Arigato_, Kaworu-_san_," she replied, meekly.

"You're welcome."

The two shared some more time together, sitting on the roof while talking about their hobbies, favourite subjects at school and other things in general. Looking at his watch, Kaworu noticed that two hours had passed, surprised at how fast the time had gone by after only talking. He stood up, and stretched his arms and legs, then offered Shinobu a hand to help her up. As they started to walk across the narrow ridge, Shinobubegan to loseher balance after trying to walk with her slippers on. Letting out a yelp, one foot was placed over the other and she began to fall, eliciting a loud yelp thatimmediately caught Kaworu's attention. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards him, but also began to lose balance himself, hoisting Shinobu into his arms as his feet began to slide down the roofing. Noticing this sudden change in events, the red-eyed teenager readied himself and leapt over the balcony as they neared the edge of the roof, crouching to stabilise his landing. Standing up, he helped place Shinobu back on her feet, dusting himself off.

"A-_Arigato_... Kaworu-_san_..." the petite, violet-haired girl said, still slightly unsteady from her near-plunge to the ground. She felt the heat start to rise once again in her cheeks as she stared into his blood-red eyes. _T-Those eyes... they're so... warm. And inviting..._ she thought.

"Anytime." He replied, his smile never seeming to leave his face. "Well, shall we go in? It's quite late."

"H-_Hai_."

With that, they both went inside and retired to their separate rooms, preparing to go to bed.

* * *

Monday morning. Shinobu and Kaworu were ready to leave the inn to start their new school day. The violet-haired girl was wearing her usual school uniform consisting of a white shirt with blue collar, blue skirt, white socks and black shoes. Kaworu was wearing a white button-up shirt and dark blue blazer, complete with trousers of the same colour and black shoes, carrying a rucksack with him. Keitaro and all the others, sans Su, were standing in the lobby to see them off. 

"Su's still not up yet..." Shinobu said, worried. "We're going to be la --" She was interrupted by Su's cheerful laughing as the young Molmolian slid down the railing and gracefully hopped off, flying towards Keitaro with her foot outstretched, ready to give him a flying kick by way of greeting. After a few seconds, her foot made contact with the side of his face, making Keitaro stumble forward and fall face-first into none other than Naru's cleavage. The said girl twitched with anger before pulling her arm back and clenching her fist.

"_HENTAI NO BAKA_!!" she screamed as she landed yet another direct hit and sent the hapless kanrinin flying through the front door and into the distant horizon, leaving a barely visible twinkle in the sky.

"Oopsies..." Su said, standing on one foot with her hands held behind her head. "Nya ha ha! I guess I underestimated my own momentum!" She noticed Shinobu and Kaworu standing togetherby the door. "Ooooh... Shinobu's found herself a lovebird!"

Kaworu just looked on with an amused smile. Shinobu was blushing so much that she would have made the planet Mars look jealous.

"Su-_chan_!!" she shrieked.

"Shinobu-_chan_..." Kitsune teased, nudging the youngergirl in the ribs with herelbow. "I didn't know you were reeling in theboys so easily... what's your secret? There must be something you're hiding from the rest of us..."

"I-I-It's not w-what you think, K-Kitsune-_san_!!" Shinobu shrieked once again, tears spraying from the corners of her eyes like fountains, opening her eyes again as a tanned blur shot past her.

The young _gaijin_ ran out of the front doors, skipping merrily as she went down the steps. "Lovebirds! Lovebirds! Lovebirds!" she chanted, as Shinobu grabbed her bag and ran out of the door after her tanned friend.

"Su-chan, stop that!!" she yelled as they both disappeared down the steps, leaving Kaworu with an expression of bewildered amusement on his face. _Heh... at least I won't have to bother about being bored here, with Su as colourful as she is_, he thought. "Well, I'm going too," he said to everyone. "Take care."

"Bye," they all replied, with the exception of Motoko, who was just leaning against the door frame with a look of warning on her face.

* * *

Later that day... 

Keitaro was on course for one of his regular 'emergency landings' after being sent flying into the Lower Earth Orbit by Naru's infamous punches. "Look out beloooooowwwww---!!" he called out to a group of people who just happened to be directly in his landing path, forcing them to look up. Noticing the unidentified-speaking-and-flying-object heading in their direction, they scattered and moved at least eight feet away from him before he crashed onto the hard stony ground. His body blackened and charred, with smoke rising from his body as if he reached terminal velocity whilst on the way down.

"Man, are you okay?" one of the people said, approaching him.

"Ahh... did any get the number of that lorry that just hit me...?" Keitaro mumbled, his voice slightly jarred and slurry. Putting a hand tohis head, he regained his composure as he remained on the ground. "Damn, my head. Uhh... where am I?" He looked around at his surroundings, finding them completely unfamiliar.

"Why, you're in Sendai." spoke another one of the other people, an elderly man.

The _kanrinin_ laughed lightly. "No, seriously... where am I?"

"I am serious, sonny; you're in Sendai."

"S-Sendai?!?!" Keitaro screamed, jumping onto his feet immediately. He hung his head dejectedly. "Damn, I must've really pissed Naru off this time. Getting back is going to take a lot longer than expected now..."

* * *

Back at Hinata High School... 

The first day at Kaworu's new school came to an end as quick as it started. His introduction to his new tutor group went fairly well for the young teenager, with not many problems arising from other students. He spent most of the breaktime and the lunchtime periods with Su and Shinobu, getting a few looks of envy from some of the longer-serving male students. The lessons themselves went fairly well too. As soon as the piercing shriek of the bell indicated the end of the school day, Kaworu walked out of the classroom and slowly walked down the corridor. He went past the main hall and looked through one of the double doors, noticing a piano in the room on the other side. Opening the double doors, he walked into the room and sat at the piano, placing his duffel bag beside him. Cracking his fingers, he started playing the tune of Moonlight Sonata, humming along as he did so.

_This is so relaxing..._ he thought, _it feels as if all is right with the world. Me, alone withthe soft sounds of the piano's ivory keys... I feel at peace._

He played the symphonic notes for a while longer before stopping for the day. Once he finished playing, he could hear gentle clapping from three pairs of hands. Looking around, he could see Shinobu, Su,and a brown-haired girl standing in between them. Her hair was tied in two separate pigtails, and her face was freckled slightly.

"Bravo," said the brown-haired girl. "That was really good."

"It was beautiful, Kaworu-_san_," Shinobu concurred, clapping politely.

Kaworu stood up and bowed in response, then picked up his duffel bag, walking over to the three girls. "_Arigato_," he said in reply to their praise. "It's nothing really. Playing the piano has always been a favourite past-time of mine. I guess I just picked it up as I went along."

"It was still beautiful though," replied the brown-haired girl. Kaworu turned to face her, his endearing smile on her face. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly as her chocolate brown eyes locked with his crimson ones.

"Ah, pardon me... where are my manners?" Kaworu replied. "I believe we haven't been introduced to each other yet. My name is Kaworu... Kaworu Nagisa." He bowed politely to the girl in front of him.

"My name is Akiko; Akiko Taichi. Pleased to meet you!" She held out a hand in front of her as if to offer a handshake, to which Kaworu replied by shaking her hand in return.

"Likewise." He brushed a few loose strands of hair back behind his ears. "I was just about to go back to where I was staying. Would you care to join us on the way?"

"Sure, if that's okay with Su and Shinobu." Akiko replied, turning to look at the said two.

"Sure," Shinobu replied.

"Okies!" Su chirped, bouncing about as usual.

"Well, that's settled then." Kaworu then hoisted the duffel bag onto his back and opened the double doors, allowing the three girls to go out before him.

* * *

One hour later, back at Hinata Sou... 

Su, Shinobu and Kaworu had reached the top of the giant stone steps after seeing off Akiko shortly before arriving. Nothing of much note had occurred between the four, except for further introductions between Akiko and Kaworu, who seemed to get on - as Su put it - like two peas in a pod. Kaworu slid the double doors open and allowed Su and Shinobu to enter before him in an act of chivalry.

"_Tadaima_!" the three called as they stepped inside the grand building, slipping their shoes and jackets off.

"Welcome back, you three," Naru greeted.

Kaworu hung his jacket up on the coathangers, then slipped his blazer off. "Well, I'm going to have a quick shower and get changed." He advanced towards the stairs and started to make his way up them. "Oh, Shinobu-_chan_?"

"_Hai_?"

"I'll be going out for a little while when I come down; just to get to know the area. So, if you make dinner, don't bother making any for me."

"Okay. But I'll leave something in case you're hungry."

"You needn't concern yourself, Shinobu-_chan_. I'll fix something up for myself when I come back."

Shinobu smiled sweetly. "Okay, Kaworu-_san_."

Kaworu smiled back in response and went up the stairs to his room.

* * *

Later that afternoon... 

Kaworu came back down the stairs, wearing atwo-tone jumperand jeans, complete with a black pair of shoes. Shinobu and Su were sitting on the sofa, with the latter teasing the young Maehara girl for no reason. They both noticed their male counterpart coming down the stairs, and Shinobu couldn't help but stare at him in his new attire. _Wow... he looks handsome_, Shinobu thought, putting her hands to her cheeks as the blood began to make it's way up to her face. Su just blew a wolf-whistle, making the faintest of blushes appear on Kaworu's pale features.

"Well, I'll be off. See you two later," Kaworu said.

"Bye!"

* * *

Three hours later... 

The sun was beginning to set, giving the sky a reddish-blue appearance. Kaworu was in the main commercial and retail districtsof the small hot spring town, overlooking the sea. Walking along the balcony that stretched over the river that led to the sea, he stared into the sky, enjoying the serenity that thedark yet peaceful and quietsurroundings provided. This feeling of inner peace came to an end when, lost in his thoughts, he tripped over something and landedon the concrete.Standing up and dusting himself off, he looked at the source. It was the figure of a woman, laid haphazardly in the middle of the pavement. After the contact made between the two, the woman slowly started to stir, before groggily sitting up, her hands beside her on the ground. Looking closely, the woman was revealed to be Kitsune, in an intoxicated state.

"Uhh... wha?" she slurred. "Hey, fancy meetin' you here, Kaworu-_kun_..."

"Kitsune... are you okay?" Kaworu replied, a concerned look on her face. "How much have you had to drink? By the looks of it, you've had a lot."

"Feh... I dunno... probably about fifteen... twenty, maybe..."she replied, trying to count off on her fingers,"...no idea. I stopped countin'... but by then, I was sorta havin' trouble tryin' to think, let alone count... then I tried walkin' to the little ladies' room... next thing ya know, I fell flat on my arse."

Kaworu rolled his eyes. "Look, I think we'd better get you back to the Hinata," he said, placing an arm around her shoulder and one of her arms aroundhis in an effort to balance her. He then proceeded to haul her back to the old inn.

"I know what ya up to..." Kitsune slurred once again. "Ya wanna get me inta bed, dont'cha? Ya sneaky little devil... I never knew ya haddit in ya..."

Kaworu sighed and carried on walking, not replying.

* * *

Back at Hinata Sou... 

Everyone else, sans Keitaro - who was still probably stuck in Sendai - were gathered in the lobby, waiting for the two absent tenants to return.

"It's getting late," Shinobu commented. "Kaworu-_san_'s been out for a while..."

"So has Kitsune-_san_," Motoko commented.

"It wouldn't surprise me if that new tenant is as perverted as Keitaro..." Naru grumbled, clenching her fists.

"Come on Naru," Kanako stated, her emotionless look present on her face. "Look at the age difference... there's no chance that they'll have done what you two are insinuating." Her face then contorted into a glare. "Speaking of which... oniichan still hasn't come back. If he's not back by tomorrow morning, you are going to have hell to pay..."

Naru could only gulp at Kanako's threat, unable to meet her piercing gaze.

"Perhaps you are right, Kanako-_san_." Motoko replied. "Nagisa is not even of the age of consent."

Shinobu looked out the front door, hopeful that the three mentioned people would soon turn up. _I hope they're alright..._

* * *

One hour later... 

Kaworu and Kitsune were almost home when the effects of the fox-eyed lady's intoxication began to kick in.She heldher free hand to her mouth, a queasy look on her face. The younger male noticed this.

"What's wrong?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick..."

"Again?" Kaworu rolled his eyes and walked over to the nearest rubbish bin in case she began to throw up on the pavement. Holding the sides of the bin, she hung her head over the hole and began to be sick, the retching sounds making passers-by want to feel sick themselves. After the worst of the episode had gone by, she raised her head and took deep gulps of the fresh air in an attempt to make herself feel better.

"Gah... I guess that saying is true. There really is too much of a good thing... now my mouth tastes like a litterbox." She took a few more deep breaths, before standing up and leaning on Kaworu for support. "Ahh... I feel a bit better now. Let's get goin'."

The red-eyed teenager threw his arm around her shoulder to support her again, and they resumed their journey back to Hinata Sou. "Once we get back, we'll get you a glass of water to wash the taste out."

* * *

Back at Hinata Sou... 

"That's it," Naru said. "I'm going out to look for them; we've been waiting for long enough."

"I concur," Motoko agreed. "It is nearly 12.00."

They were interrupted by the faint sounds of a person singing drunkenly. Advancing to the double doors, they noticed two familiar silhouettes approaching. Kitsune was singing in drunken glee while Kaworu was doing his best to support her.

"...and if one green bottle, should accidently fall... CRASH! ...There'll be 9 green bottles, sitting on the wall..." sang the fox-eyed woman as Kaworu opened the door.

"What took you two so long?" Naru asked.

"I had a bit of trouble trying to get her on her feet," Kaworu replied. "All she needs now is just some water and rest."

"I'll take her from here," Motoko stated as Kaworu helped shift Kitsune's dead weight onto the kendo girl. "_Arigato_ for your deed, Nagisa," she continued, "but that doesn't mean that I am not keeping my eye on you."

"If you say so." He stifled a yawn. "I think I'll go up to bed now. Me, Su and Shinobu-chan have school in the morning."

"Goodnight," everyone said as he made his way up the steps.

* * *

Later that night... 

"Ahh... home at last..."

Keitaro finally managed to make his way up the last of the stone steps. Although he was glad to finally have arrived back at home after his unscheduled 'trip' to Sendai, what he wasn't happy at was having to splash out on transport. It was either spend on a quicker way to get home and walk it - he certainly didn't prefer the latter. "Bang goes my money, though..." he complained, tears slowly cascading down his cheeks as alone bit of lint floated out of his wallet. "Guess I'll just have to double the rent for next month..."

He slowly made his way to the front door. "Huh? Oh, no... they've locked the doors. Now I'll have to try and get in through the window..." He walked over to the nearest tree, and made his best attempt to climb up. Once he reached the top, he made slow, tentative movements so as not to lose his balance and fall off. He noticed that his window was literally opposite him, so he readied himself and attempted to jump in via the window. Unfortunately, the forces of gravity didn't seem to take pity on the poor _kanrinin_, and he fell three floors to the ground- just as he wasinches awayfrom the window.

"Aaaaaa--!!"

He landed on the ground with a dull thud. He tried standing up but felt a shooting pain make it's way through his ankle.

"_Itee_ (ouch)... I think I twisted my ankle... _now_ how am I going to get in?"

* * *

**::: END CHAPTER TWO :::

* * *

**

**::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::**

Another chapter done and out of the way. Evangelion fans would know that 'Ode To Joy' was the tune Kaworu was humming when he first met Shinji. It is also the same tune played when Misato and the other NERV colleagues find out that he is an Angel after he synchronises with Unit-02, and after that looooooooong moment of silence passes between him and Shinji, before Unit-01 is controlled to kill him in Episode 24.

And for anybody who hasn't noticed already, I've reposted Chapter 1 with some edited parts. I've also included Kaworu's AT-Field, but I won't be including any of his other abilities, e.g. levitation.

A few messages;

**St.Jack:** I only noticed myself after reading the first chapter again that I did make Kaworu a tad too sardonic. Hope I've remedied that, though. And the 'comma-itis' thing has been a habit of mine for ages. You're right, it's not so much a crossover... just more a sort of bringing a character into a new world, if you could call it that.

**urmomlolz:** I also noticed the similarities between the first paragraphs of the first chapter of this and the second of your fic - creepy, eh.

Feedback of any kind is welcome, be it praise or flame. :)

And, yet again, don't blame me for any formatting errors that may crop up... no matter how many times I edit them, QuickEdit always finds a way to make a new one...


	3. Kaworu's Theory

**: A New Tenant :**

by

_- GlazedAndConfused -_

* * *

"..." - denotes speech.  
"(...)" - denotes whispering.  
_Italics_ denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.

* * *

**_Chapter Three_ :** _Kaworu's Theory

* * *

_

Room 302; early morning.

Motoko lay on her futon; her arms, legs and hair sprawled out unceremoniously with cold beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. The cover of her futon was barely covering her legs and stomach. Her eyes were wide open, her face showing no signs of tiredness. No matter how many times she tossed and turned, she just could not get comfortable or sleepy. Only one thing was on her mind; the enigmatic new resident, Kaworu.

She looked at her clock. It read 2:03 am.

_Why can't I get Nagisa out of my head?_ She mused, a look of mild agitation on her face. _He is a typical, perverted male... I should not even be wasting my time thinking about him._

Her mind flashed back to dinner time the previous day. Seeing Kaworu and Shinobu make contact when reaching for the soy sauce and misunderstanding the situation. Her attack not having any effect on the young teenager; instead, coming into contact with a sort of invisible barrier that flashed with an orange light. Her face switched from an expression of agitation to one of rage as she recalled possibly the only time one of her attacks had landed a near-direct hit with it's target, yet still managed to inflict no damage.

_What was that 'AT-Field' of which he referred to? I must confront him tomorrow about it when I have time. He must obviously be a demon of some sort; no ordinary person can muster a shield like that out of thin air._

Shivering due to the cool night air, she pulled the cover of the futon back over her, and tried to get some sleep once again.

* * *

Five hours later.

The Aoyama girl was on the laundry deck of the old dorm, sitting in her meditative pose, having woken up only a matter of minutes ago. Not that she managed to get back to sleep anyway. Ever since she woke up in the early hours of the morning, she continuously drifted in and out of sleep. Once she had woken up, she would remain that way for longer than she was asleep. The young swordswoman eventually decided - after five hours - that staying in bed would be useless if she could not get back to sleep, so she got up and went to the roof to start her daily meditation. Nothing could be heard except for the occasional chirping of the birds and the last remaining _sakura_ petals slowly drifting past her, the scent of the said petals making one's aura a lot more calm and soothed.

Almost as if all their problems would be swept away in one calm, swift breeze.

But even this couldn't make Motoko concentrate entirely on her meditation.

* * *

Room 304.

Naru Narusegawa was angry. Not that it really came as much of a surprise to everyone in Hinata Sou since they were so used to seeing her that way every so often each day - usually with the _kanrinin_ being on the receiving end of her fiery temper. Not that she always got away with it, of course. Her hot-headedness would occasionally be rewarded in the form of being given a brain-rattling slap right across the cheek by Kanako. The other reward she would receive would be a threat that would shake her to the core.

The auburn-haired _Toudaisei_ fumed as she paced up and down her room, angrily pulling on her orange turtleneck sweatshirt. It had been three days since the arrival of the enigmatic and puzzling Kaworu Nagisa. Three days, and she still hadn't come up with a suitable enough reason to make him leave, other than the usual 'he's a pervert and a peeping tom' routine which she used so often that it was eventually worn out. At least, it was to the other residents except Motoko, who was practically the only one who agreed with her.

It wasn't like he was a bad person, though. He was very amicable and polite around them all even when under scrutiny. He was particularly friendly towards Shinobu and Su. The previous night, he had helped an inebriated Kitsune make her way back to Hinata Sou, knowing that she would have fallen asleep in the middle of the street or even in an alleyway had she tried making her own way home. At least the auburn-haired girl was thankful for that. But despite all of these endearing qualities, she simply could not understand the boy. The albino was very much like a series of complex riddles, unable to be solved at all. She wouldn't go so far as to say that he was a Pandora's Box; he did not seem to have a bad bone in his body, plus that would be more a term which Motoko would be more likely to use than her. Yet the problem that he was a male still remained. To her, the equation was simple; male plus all-girls dorm equals no chance in hell. While Keitaro was an exception to the rule seeing as he was the _kanrinin_ by way of inheritance - and also her (unfortunate) boyfriend - Kaworu was certainly fitting of this very equation.

She would find a way to get him out of Hinata Sou. But she would need help. Even if he was three to four years younger than her, she could - and would - punish the albino boy at any opportunity that presented itself.

Placing these thoughts aside for the time being, she shifted the board covering the hole in the floor that joined her room and Keitaro's room. She noticed the _kanrinin_ sitting at the _kotatsu_ table, a book in hand.

"Good morning, Keitaro," she greeted, a smile on her face that was uncharacteristic for her at this particular time of morning. Normally, she would be bleary eyed and irritable - nothing that a good cup of coffee wouldn't remedy.

"Good morning, Naru," he reciprocated, smiling back at her. The _kanrinin_ was the complete opposite to his auburn-haired counterpart at this time of morning. He was fairly amicable and pleasant, hardly needing anything to help recharge him for the day. On his _kotatsu_ table was a kettle with steam coming ou of the spout, a fresh cup of tea in front of him with the twig floating upright. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he asked.

"I could do with one, _arigato_," Naru replied, taking a seat at the _kotatsu_ table opposite her partner. "So, how do you feel this morning?" She asked, taking his hand and intertwining her fingers with his.

"Well, my head's still a little bit achey after that trip you sent me on yesterday," he said, rubbing his temple to emphasise that point, "and after I tried to get in by climbing up the tree and jumping through the window, I sprained my ankle after missing the window and falling to the ground."

"Wow. I hit you that hard?"

"Yeah... still got two souvenirs."

Naru barely suppressed a light giggle. "Hehe... _gomen_."

Keitaro poured the tea from the kettle into the spare cup and handed it to his auburn-haired girlfriend, who gratefully accepted it. "So, what're you thinking of doing today?"

Naru took a sip of her tea. "Going into T_oudai_ to get some textbooks for the upcoming semester," she replied. "Then that's it. What about you?"

"Nothing, really. I've got all I need for my next semester."

A thoughtful look appeared on the younger girl's face. "You know..." she spoke, leaning forward slightly, "we both have nothing much to do today. Why don't we spend a bit of time by ourselves today?"

"R-Really?"

"Of course..." she teased with a wink, slowly placing her free hand underneath the _kotatsu_ table. She used the same hand to slip one of her socks off and began to run her bare toes up and down the hapless _kanrinin'_s leg, raising an eyebrow coyly as she noticed him stiffen up upon the contact.

"Um..." For a few moments, he babbled out a string of incoherent 'er's, 'um's and 'ah's as Naru continued to stroke his leg with her toes, even going as high as his inner thigh, which would have made him shoot through the roof if he were not sat at the _kotatsu_ table. While some men, namely Kentaro Sakata, Haitani Masayuki and Shirai Kimiaki, would have jumped at the chance of a woman like Naru teasing them in such a way, Keitaro was entirely different. Despite all of her and Motoko's claims that he was a pervert, the younger _Toudaisei_ knew that he definitely wasn't one, although the string of accidents would have suggested otherwise if seen by an outsider. Though, with that said, there was a certain part of the _kanrinin'_s anatomy that would also have suggested otherwise, too...

And it wasn't as if Naru was entirely blameless. After being friends with Kitsune for so long, it made people wonder if she would eventually adopt some of her fox-eyed friend's tricks. If she did, then she hid it very well, showing only Keitaro after the time they came back from the little fiasco in Hokkaido.

_Yep_, she mused, _Kitsune's _definitely_ been a bad influence on me._

Deciding that she had tortured him enough, she withdrew her foot and put her sock back on, leaning forward and giving her boyfriend a gentle kiss on the tip of the nose.

"I love you Keitaro, you know that?"

"_Hai_. And I love you too."

With that, they both shared another kiss before Naru broke it off after a few moments. "Hey, we'd better go down for breakfast," she spoke, "Shinobu-_chan_ will probably have it ready."

Keitaro finished what was left of his tea and stood up, stretching his legs while brushing his clothes off. He was about to walk out of the room before Naru placed a hand on his shoulder. Turning around to see what she needed, she leaned forward again and gave him a gentle kiss on the temple.

"What was that for?" He asked, a slight blush on his cheek.

"That was my apology for yesterday," she replied, winking.

The two then left the room and proceeded downstairs, hand in hand.

* * *

Kaworu's room.

The red-eyed boy was wide awake, lying on his futon with his hands behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling in a ruminative silence, his crimson orbs unblinking. The cover of the said futon was neatly folded up beside him. Lying on his stomach was his CD player, with the harmonic sounds of soft, classical playing from the small device down to his ear drums, as he found himself unconsciously humming to the soft melody. But such is life at Hinata Sou, a peaceful moment like this would not last.

"Kaworuuuuuu!" came the unmistakeable yells of the hyperactive partners in crime, Kaolla Su and Sarah McDougal. His door burst open to reveal them both running into his room and skidding in front of him, the dark-skinned girl kneeling down beside him and ruffling his hair playfully, a beaming grin on her face that matched the sparkling in her emerald green eyes. He had to wonder how two early risers could be so active - especially at that time of morning

Kaworu gave a light chuckle. "Good morning Su-_chan_; Sarah-_chan_."

"Shinobu said breakfast is ready! Let's goooooooo...!" The young Molmolian finished, springing to her feet once again and sprinting out of the room, with Sarah never too far behind. The albino boy slowly stood up and stretched his arms and legs, before walking out of the room.

* * *

Room 205.

Kitsune was laid at an odd angle on her futon, her head resting on the floor and her feet poking out the opposite side of the makeshift bed, the covers laying across her body. Morning had come far too early for her liking. She slammed her eyes shut tightly as quick as she opened them, wishing that it was still night time as she tried to block out the sun's glaring rays that were entering through the window and spilling across her face. To her, it felt like her head was a building being demolished by sledgehammers - from the inside. For every time her heart beat, her head throbbed in perfect synchronisation, and not even the fact that it would wear off in an hour or two seemed to make the fox-eyed woman feel any better about waking up.

"I shouldn't have drank so much last night..." she murmured, her voice barely even coherent as she held her hand to her head. "Agh... where's that damn aspirin when it's needed...?"

Kitsune grimaced at the sour, sickening taste in her mouth that was one of the few unpleasant reminders of her saké frenzy from the night before, making her want to throw up there and then. Her head also felt like it was removed from her head and used as a spinning top, the feeling of dizziness only adding to the discomfort. Her body felt as if it were wrapped in layer upon layer of blankets, and she noticed that her clothes were soaked with a cold sweat, sticking to certain parts of her body. She took a sniff of her shirt, grimacing at the smell of stale sweat. The fox-eyed woman didn't really want to get up and out of bed since sleep was usually the best method for a hangover, yet she didn't particularly want to sleep in a bed that also had been soaked in sweat.

"Ugh... I need a good soak in the _onsen_."

Any other words Kitsune was about to speak were suddenly cut short by a feeling that was all too familiar to her bubbling in her stomach and making it's way towards her throat. Nausea. Holding her hand to her mouth, the fox-eyed woman dashed out of her room and ran to the toilet at a speed that would have put even Dwayne Chambers to shame. With mere seconds to spare, Kitsune dropped to her knees, opened the lid up and - like many people around the world nursing a hangover that morning - emptied most of what she drank the previous night, as well as what she had eaten hours before going out, via her mouth.

* * *

In the kitchen...

Everyone, minus the self-proclaimed slacker, was sat at the breakfast table. While listening to the fox-eyed woman's heavy footfalls coupled with the sounds of her stomach contents being ejected into the toilet on an almost-daily basis was practically a regular occurrence, it was still no less disgusting to listen to, especially during breakfast time.

"She really shouldn't let herself go like that..." Naru said, shaking her head in disapproval.

"I agree," Keitaro concurred, "it's not nice having to listen to that noise near enough every morning."

"Is Kitsune-_san_ always like this?" Kaworu asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Su replied, cheerfully. "Nearly every week she drinks like a fish and wakes up the next morning, puking her guts out! She sounded like a -"

"Su, please... stop," Shinobu interrupted, looking green around the gills at Su's running commentary.

Naru also looked a bit queasy. "Su-_chan_, we could do without that explanation at breakfast time."

"Sorry!" The young _gaijin_ then continued eating. It came as a wonder to the rest of the residents how she could instil such sickening images into not only everybody else's mind, but also into her own, and still continue to eat as if nothing was ever said.

Kaworu simply chuckled softly and returned to his breakfast, taking a bite from the last piece of food that was suspended between his chopsticks, then placed the two sticks in his bowl and stood up, proceeding into the kitchen but stopping just as he was about to go past the Shinobu. "Thank you for the breakfast, Maehara-_san_; it was exquisite as usual," he spoke, his endearing smile still on his face. "For one of such a young age, you are a very talented and accomplished cook."

Shinobu blushed a fierce hue of crimson, almost to the point where it matched the colour of the slightly older boy's eyes, after placing her bowl down on the table. "A-A-_Arigato_..." she replied, averting her eyes so they did not meet his. "Just call me Shinobu please, Nagisa-_sempai_."

The albino simply ruffled her hair playfully with his pale, slender fingers, making the violet-haired girl blush to the point where her face resembled a traffic light. "Please, just Kaworu. Calling me Nagisa-_sempai_ makes me feel older than I actually am," he continued with a wink.

Naru looked up and glared at him as if to say 'do that again and you're dead'. This did not have the desired effect, as Kaworu was largely unfazed. In fact, the older girl found herself unable to maintain her scowl, her face softening as she saw the expression on his face. She wanted to go on a tangent at him, to stand up and lower him with another glare hard enough to shatter diamond while warning him of the consequences if he ever did anything like that again to the petite cook. The problem was that whenever she opened her mouth to try and speak, or try to glare at him again, she'd find herself looking at the earnest, friendly face of Kaworu's, and find that her anger had melted away as quick as it came as she stared into those mysterious crimson orbs. That, and it was almost as if that gentle smile of his had disarmed her of a weapon.

"It was merely an act of politeness, Narusegawa-_san_," Kaworu spoke, still smiling.

"Just as long as it was that and nothing perverted," Naru replied, unable to meet his gaze, a slight rosy tint highlighting her cheeks.

The albino then walked into the kitchen and washed up his bowl, placing it back into it's designated cupboard after drying it. After helping Shinobu with the washing up once everybody else had finished with their breakfast, he walked back into the living room with the young girl.

"_Arigato_ for helping me with the dishes, Kaworu-_san_," Shinobu spoke, "but you didn't have to."

"It was my way of repaying the favour for such a wonderful breakfast, Shinobu-_chan_," Kaworu replied, chuckling lightly.

"Shinobuuuuu! Kaworuuuuu! Time to go to school, lovebirds!" Su yelled as she shot down the stairs past Kaworu and Shinobu, her petite form appearing as a nondescript blur as she dashed out of the front door and skipped merrily down the large stone steps that led to the town below them.

"Su! Wait for me and Kaworu!" Shinobu yelled, grabbing her bag and trying to exit the building while also trying to put her shoes on at the same time. Kaworu simply slipped on his converse shoes and took his duffel bag, calmly walking out of the building while chuckling at the exchange between the two girls.

"Well, I'd best be off," he told Keitaro as he checked his watch and headed for the door.

"Okay," the _kanrinin_ replied. "Have a good day."

"Likewise." He then closed the door behind him and ran down the steps to catch up with Su and Shinobu, slipping on his light jacket at the same time.

* * *

Three-quarters of an hour later...

Shinobu and Kaworu were walking side by side down the streets of the small hot spring town, with the hyperactive _gaijin_ bouncing around wherever she could within the vicinity. Somewhere along the way, the young cook couldn't help but sneak a sideward glance out of the corner of her eye at her slightly older male friend, more fascinated about his physical features than anything else. Not exactly flustered, as while she did have to admit he was fairly good looking, it wasn't to the point that her pulse would begin to go through the roof whenever she saw him. _He's so pale_, she thought. _And his hair is so light. He looks as if he's just very delicate._

But what fascinated her the most about him was his red eyes. Those deep, blood-red orbs that only added to the veil of mystery that already surrounded him.

Unfortunately for her, Kaworu noticed; the grey-haired boy's mouth broadening into a smile. "Is there something you want to tell me, Shinobu-_chan_?"

The petite girl's gaze snapped away from her albino counterpart, a heavy blush on her face that made the pale boy chuckle lightly. "Auuuuu! N-No, Kaworu-_san_! I-I-I..."

Kaworu chuckled lightly. "You're very shy, aren't you?" He reached over and ruffled the younger girl's hair again, making her blush even heavily. That was the only answer he needed. "You need not be," he continued, smiling politely. "Tell me, why do you get embarrassed around me?"

Shinobu didn't reply for a few moments, gathering up the courage to speak. "I-I'm just not v-very good around boys..." she spoke in a whisper-like tone.

The albino nodded his head in understanding. "I see."

The violet-haired girl's head snapped up. She raised her hands, waving them in front of them. "Auuuuu! I d-don't mean any o-offence to you, Kaworu-_san_!"

The red-eyed boy chuckled again. "None taken, Shinobu-_chan_." He sighed. "You really should not be very uptight. If you feel this way around boys in general, what is it going to be like when you get a boyfriend later in life? My advice is to just act like yourself."

Shinobu nodded her head. "Ano... Kaworu-_san_?"

"_Hai_?"

"Have you... ever had a girlfriend?" The blush that was fading from her cheeks flared up again as she finished the question, averting her gaze again.

Kaworu simply shook his head. "No. To be honest, I was flattered that so many girls liked me back at my old schools. But... I was not interested in having a relationship just yet. Most of them liked me for what I looked like, rather than just for who I was. They were shallow. Plus, I did not particularly enjoy the attention. I preferred to be alone. I grew used to it eventually. Never having a place to call home. Not knowing my parents."

"It must have been so hard for you..."

"If there were any pressures, I certainly didn't feel them." He turned to face her as they walked. "So, what are your parents like?"

Shinobu froze. This was not a topic she particularly liked talking about, seeing as she was not in what one could call a happy household. Her parents being at odds with one another forced her out of the household and into Hinata Sou, where she could live without having the responsibility of choosing between her parents. She would try day after day to force the issue into the back of her mind. Having it brought up around her made that hard to do. The petite girl was about to speak, but paused just as she opened her mouth. She turned away so that he could not see her face.

"That's... something I'd r-rather not talk about, Kaworu-_san_."

"I won't ask you to say anything you do not wish to say."

"A-_Arigato_."

* * *

Lunch time.

The albino boy was sat on the branch of a lone tree that stood proudly outside the main building of the school. All the other students were either playing or just hanging around with each other, talking leisurely. He looked out into the distance, at the hilltops that faced the north. A brown bag was resting on his lap as he took a few bites out of his sandwich, his leg swinging back and forth in tune with the music he was listening to. His face was contented, neither a smile nor a frown on his lips, but instead a calm look in his eyes. He then spotted Akiko, Su and Shinobu appearing from the main double doors with another girl in company. The young Molmolian spotted Kaworu up in the tree, and pointed up at him, letting Shinobu and the others know where he was.

"Heeeeyyyy! Kaworuuuuuuuu!" Su called up at him, the cheeriness in her voice never seeming to disappear.

Kaworu looked down and laughed. "You're still very cheerful, aren't you Su?"

"Yup!" The dark-skinned girl then stood on one leg and jumped backwards so she was standing between Akiko and another girl with them who had brown hair. This girl in particular had brown hair that was a slightly lighter shade of brown than that of Akiko's, and tied back in two pigtails. She had three freckles on each cheek, making her seem a lot more cute than she already was. "By the way," Su continued, pointing at the second girl. "Here's another girl we want you to meet!"

The albino boy removed his earphones and placed them in his pocket. Removing his bag from the tree branch it was hanging off, he hoisted it onto his back and jumped off the branch, landing with gracefulness that would have made Su jealous. He then walked over to the four girls, bowing politely at the girl Su was pointing at.

"_Konnichiwa_," he introduced. "My name is Kaworu Nagisa. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," the girl replied, a smile forming on her face as well as a slight rosy hue in her cheeks. "My name is Hikari Horaki."

"Ooooooh..." Su cooed, nearing her face to Hikari's. "Hikari's blushing! She fancies Kaworu too!"

"S-Su-_chan_! We've only just met!"

The young Molmolian hopped over to Shinobu, prodding the younger of the four girls teasingly. "You've got competition for Kaworu's heart, Shinobu..."

"Suuuuuuu!" Shinobu yelled, another heavy blush forming on her face as she started chasing the older girl around the building. The remaining three people just laughed heartily at the display between the two young friends. Kaworu turned back to Hikari, whose blush had faded.

"I don't know where Su-chan gets all that energy from," the albino boy spoke, his smile widening.

"Me neither. She eats almost her own body weight in food yet can still run fast," Hikari replied, looking at the two as the violet-haired girl continued her pursuit.

"Does she do gymnastics?"

"_Hai_. Why?"

"Because she could be a brilliant gymnast one day."

Hikari giggled lightly, turning to see the two girls return. Shinobu was standing with her knees bent slightly, her hands placed on them as she tried to get her breath back. Su, meanwhile, looked as if she was just about ready for a second lap around the school building.

"Oh yeah," Su spoke, holding her hand up and snapping her finger. "Hikari, Kaworu is great at playing the piano! Have you heard him playing yet?"

"No, I don't think I have."

"Let's go to the music room, then! Kaworu can play there!" The dark-skinned girl grabbed Hikari and Shinobu by the arm and more or less dragged them to the music room with her. Kaworu and Akiko sweatdropped as they followed the three to the music room.

A few moments later, Kaworu was sat on the stool in front of the piano, with Hikari, Su and Shinobu sat on chairs that were beside him. Cracking his fingers, the young albino then started playing. The soothing melody of 'Moonlight Sonata' rang through the ears of the four girls and made them feel relaxed as his slender fingers pushed the correct ivory and ebony keys without even so much as looking at them, his eyes closed as if he were in heaven. As if it were only him and them four in a separate world of their own for the time being, with no interference from the outside world.

As if they were enclosed in their own special AT-Field.

Once he had finished playing, the four girls applauded politely.

"That was beautiful, Kaworu-_san_," Hikari spoke, smiling. "Su-chan was right when she said you were good at playing the piano."

"_Arigato_, Hikari-_san_." The grey-haired boy replied. "Music has always been one of my greatest joys. It soothes the soul and brings joy to everyone around the symphony."

"I agree there."

The shrill cry of the bell indicating the start of the next lessons interrupted them as Hikari was about to speak once more. The five picked up their respective bags and walked out of the room to their lessons.

"Kaworu-_san_?" Hikari spoke again before going into her own lesson.

"Hai?"

"Would you like to walk home with me, Su-_chan_, Akiko-_chan_ and Shinobu-_chan_?"

Kaworu smiled. "Of course. I would love to."

The brown-haired girl reciprocated the smile. "Okay, see you after school."

* * *

Later that evening...

Kaworu was stood on the laundry deck, the breeze slightly stronger than it was during the early hours of the morning, a few strands of his grey hair being blown back as he listened to his CD player. His crimson eyes stared out at the sea before him in silent contemplation, his face wearing a neutral yet calm look rather than the polite smile that the residents of Hinata Sou had grown so accustomed to since his arrival. The fact that he wore the smile so often was strange in itself. Any normal person would have been grimacing every time Naru or Motoko came within eyeshot, if the said person was male. And that was just in public. Seeing them near enough every five minutes within Hinata Sou would make any normal man fear for their personal safety and look over their shoulder every ten seconds in case a raging redhead or a sword-wielding teenager suddenly happened to be tailing them.

_Such a beautiful place_, he mused. _If I lived here forever, I could never leave even if I wanted to._

He was not alone on the decking, however. Although not specifically trained in martial arts, his senses were sharper than those of a typical teenager, and thus he could hear things from a certain distance away. His sharp senses also enabled him to read the _ki_ of other people around him. It was this ability to read _ki_ that alerted him to the presence of a person approaching the balcony, making their way up the steps. From the strength of the said person's _ki_, he could tell that it belonged to Motoko, the young swordswoman. His smile broadened slightly.

"I was waiting for you, Motoko-_chan_," Kaworu spoke placidly, the expression on his face the epitome of ethereal calmness. "Good afternoon."

Motoko stopped in her tracks, stunned at the fact that he was able to detect who she was before she was even within eyeshot. _H-How did he know it was me coming up?_ She thought, shocked at the fact that he knew who it was without even turning around to acknowledge her. _He could not have heard me, as he had his earpieces in..._ She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and stared at him with an antagonising scowl. "Since when did I say you could refer to me as '_chan_', Nagisa? What is it you want?"

"I thought I might be able to offer you some advice." He replied, smiling lightly.

"What advice could somebody like you offer me?"

"Advice that may help you throughout life."

"Enlighten me."

Kaworu sighed and turned to face Motoko, shutting off his CD player and placing it in his pocket. "Watch and learn from those who are around you, be it when you are here and when you are out. You will learn more about humanity. How it lives... how it adheres to society... how it matures through life."

"What is this nonsense you are talking about!" She unsheathed her _katana_ and pointed it at him, the cold steel of the blade glimmering ominously in the sunlight that tried forcing it's way through the edges of a cloud. "I know enough about those who live around me without needing to take advice from the likes of _you_!"

The gray-haired boy shook his head and tutted in disapproval. "I pity you," he retorted, closing his eyes and turning around to face the scenery once again.

"What!"

"You cannot face the reality of life, so you resort to hiding behind the cold blade of steel that is your _katana_. Yet, where would you be if you did not have it at hand? In reality, although you claim to be so strong-willed, traditional and rule-abiding, you are weak and helpless deep within the surface when you are perceived to be. For you to be so full of hate for the male populace of this township, something must have happened to either you or someone else that you know and love at a younger age."

Motoko had heard enough. She readied herself in her attacking stance. "You will pay for that, Nagisa!" The tenants of Hinata Sou - Keitaro in particular - knew that whenever the Aoyama girl got angry, it would often result in injury. The glare on her face would have been able to shatter the most brilliant diamond. Many people recoiled in fright whenever this glare was directed towards them; those who got on the wrong side of her knew just how frightening she could really be. She even took a little pride in her own intimidating nature.

But she noticed the expression on the grey-haired teenager's face. He did not look frightened at all; in fact, he looked as calm as ever, which perplexed the kendo girl. While preparing to attack, she couldn't help but wonder whether he was either insane or was willing to die - either way, she kept her composure but felt slightly unnerved. There was something about Kaworu. Something that she could not put her finger on.

"Hiken..." she growled, beginning to summon up the right amount of ki needed to execute the attack. Kaworu still stood there, his hands in his pockets while smiling at her as if this were a formal meeting between the two. "...ZANKUSEN!" She finally bellowed her war cry as she leaned forward with one leg bent at the knee and the other one straightened at the back, and swept the blade downward effortlessly. The _ki_ she had mustered was released in a visible gale that threatened to flatten anything that stood in it's destructive path. And even then, Kaworu still stood there calmly.

It wasn't until a split second before the wave of _ki_ collided with it's intended target that it soon spread out in all directions after rebounding off the same geometric distortion in the space between the wave and the young teenager that she had witnessed the previous day in the kitchen. It would have been a complete understatement to say that Motoko was shocked that her attack had, yet again, not caused any damage whatsoever. The kendo girl felt her knees begin to go from under her with the shock at what she had just witnessed, and rested against the railing adjacent to the one Kaworu was leaning against.

"Wh-What the... how did I not manage to hit you?"

"My, my. I do not mean to sound rude," Kaworu spoke, shaking his head with a slight frown on his face. "but why do you not want my advice? It could be very beneficial to your development as a woman."

"What was that!" Motoko cried, the disbelief in her voice hardly concealed as she ignored what the albino said. "What kind of inhuman being are you!"

"The AT-Field."

"What is this... AT-Field?"

"The Absolute Terror Field," Kaworu recited. "Surely you know about the light of the soul? The sacred territory where nobody may enter unless they have my invitation." His smile broadened. "And you, Motoko Aoyama of the Shinmei Ryu School of Martial Arts..." he continued, "...are most definitely not invited."

All of a sudden, a powerful shockwave that seemed to appear from nowhere caused the balconies on either side of him to give way, including the one Motoko was leaning on. The Aoyama girl, having placed all her weight on one of the said balconies, fell and landed on one of the slanted points of the roof - the wooden posts that made up the balcony sliding down the roof and into the _onsen_ with a series of splashes. A split second before she rolled off the roof and landed into the _onsen_ below them, she grabbed onto the guttering that ran along the outside of the building - largely due to the sharpened reflexes she developed from her years of training at the Shinmei Ryu. Grimacing as a jolt of pain shot through her back, she looked up and saw Kaworu staring down at her, his patented smile no longer on his face; instead, it was replaced with one of mild concern for the slightly older girl.

"Do you need assistance, Motoko-_chan_?" Kaworu asked, his soft voice with a tone of concern.

"Assistance!" the kendo girl spat. "From _you_! I would rather fall than accept your help!"

The albino sighed and ran his slender fingers through his grey hair. "Well, I'm going to help you anyway. It would go against my conscience to leave you in such a state."

Climbing onto the roof from where the balcony had broken, Kaworu positioned his body so he could safely advance down the slippery surface. Offering Motoko a hand, he smiled gently as the two made eye contact. Unfortunately for him, the young swordswoman glared at him before averting her gaze, the faintest traces of a blush on her cheeks. He frowned slightly as the guttering could be heard beginning to creak.

"Motoko-_chan_..." the young teenager spoke again, "you should not be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. Even the strongest swordsmen and women in the world today have asked for assistance wherever or whenever they have needed it. That doesn't give them reason to be embarrassed, because their pride still remains intact. Now, are you going to accept my offer or am I going to have to help you up regardless of what you say?"

Motoko didn't reply. The creaking sounds beginning to get louder was the only answer Kaworu needed. The albino then grabbed her hand and hoisted her up and over the guttering and back onto the roof, just as a few rusty screws had begun to fall loose and to the _onsen_ below them.

For a few moments, nothing was said between the two teenagers until Kaworu stood up and walked over to the opposite side of the roof, sitting down.

"Now, are you willing to listen to my advice?" He spoke, looking over his shoulder as a few strands of his hair blew across his face slightly in the gentle wind. "It could help you."

Motoko grunted as she stood up and walked back over to him, sheathing the _katana_ that had dropped onto the ground. For the briefest of moments she considered drawing it again and preparing to attack, but the AT-Field that surrounded him would only make attempts at any conventional means of attack useless. "It would seem that I do not have a choice in the matter."

Kaworu smirked. "Then so be it." He cleared his throat. "My advice is this. You are still maturing. Bearing such a hatred towards the male populace will only hinder your maturity. Humanity matures because it is the only way they can survive in life. Take, for instance, Kitsune-san. The oldest of us. Despite her age, she still acts as if she were trying to recapture her adolescence. This is her own way of dealing with her problems. Then, observe the emotions of the other residents in this building. Shinobu-_chan_'s innocence. Su-_chan_ and Sarah-_chan_'s cheeriness. Naru-_san_'s anger. Do these displays of emotion evoke some sort of feeling from deep inside you, Motoko-_chan_? Everybody has their own ways of dealing with the problems that act as barriers throughout the course of life. Besides which, if you continue to bear these feelings of anger, you will never trust men again."

"And that is bad because? Men are only perverts who have one thing in mind; the corruption of innocent females. You are no different."

The albino's eyes widened slightly. "Do you not realise how your lack of trust in men can harm the development of the Shinmei Ryu School?"

Motoko scowled slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"How do you expect to continue the tradition of the dojo if you choose not to marry and give birth to children?"

Then it all fell into place. It was now Motoko's turn to be surprised as she eventually realised that if she were not to marry and raise children with her future husband, then once the Shinmei Ryu school was handed down to her it would not be passed on to anyone else come the day of her death. How ironic for her it was that she hated men with every fibre of her being, yet she would have to rely on one if she were to keep the dojo running once she had taken responsibility of it from her sister. She would rather commit _seppuku_ on the spot than rely on a man. But then that would only be the coward's way out, refusing to see that she cannot maintain and inherit the kendo school all by herself. Tsuruko was a prime example of true strength, telling her younger sister many times that the well of strength from which she drew her power was not only from her blade, but also from her husband. While this may not have been physical strength, it was something that could be more powerful than that; emotional strength.

"I... I never thought about that."

Kaworu walked over to the young swordswoman and stood beside her. "I understand how hard it must have been for you. Seven years old, and you had the responsibility of becoming the next heir of the Shinmei Ryu school of Kendo... you grew up, forced to bear the responsibilities of a fully-grown adult at an age that could be damaging to any child. You have no pieces left of your childhood because you were blinded by your ambition to fulfill your sister's promise, and along the way you convinced everybody around you that you wanted it that way."

"What!"

"Do you understand what I mean?" Kaworu continued. "You grew up too fast. You weren't given the time to mature slowly, and as a consequence of being forced into adulthood you have no sense of what you should have learnt at that age. Such an experience has left you psychologically scarred; scars which can heal when given the time to do so. You can still learn what you never did at that age. But even when you do become an adult, you will still be learning."

Motoko had no answer to that theory. In fact she could not argue against it, because she knew that Kaworu was right. Having been handed a responsibility with such a high level of importance had caused her to miss out on learning some of the things she should have learnt as a child that would have been beneficial towards her blossoming as an older girl and eventually an adult. As a result of this, she - indeed - grew up at too early an age.

"I hope you bear my advice in mind, Motoko-_chan_," Kaworu concluded. "Like I said, it could be highly beneficial to you." He then started walking towards

"One more thing, Nagisa."

Kaworu stopped walking. "_Hai_?"

"How did you know that I was part of the Shinmei Ryu? And how did you know of my past?"

The albino sighed, a whimsical smile on his face. "Everybody has heard of them. Surely you do not underestimate your own position and importance in such a manner?"

Motoko remained silent for a few more moments, before an indignant scowl appeared on her porcelain like features, with the faintest traces of a competitive grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "Hmph! Just because you have given me advice does not mean that I will see you in a different light," she spoke, pointing the hilt of her sword towards him. "I will still be keeping my eye on you, Nagisa, and if you step out of line I shall see that the blade of my _katana_ brings you to justice, one way or another. It would be best if you kept that in mind."

Kaworu simply smirked in response. "Then so be it, Motoko-_chan_."

He made his way down the steps leading from the balcony to back inside the dorm, leaving the young swordswoman on the balcony, her face showing no signs of emotion.

**

* * *

:_ END CHAPTER THREE _:

* * *

**

**: AUTHOR'S NOTES :**

My my, it's been a little bit since I last updated this, hasn't it:P

Woo. First ever chapter I have written that has exceeded 7,000 words. Go me! Ahem...

And now, a few messages:

**urmomlolz:** There'll be some spicy conflict between Motoko and Kaworu in time - this chapter was only a taster.. ;)

**Liber Logaeth:** You'll have noticed that I introduced Hikari Horaki as a friend of Su, Shinobu and Akiko. I had that one planned from the start too. Although I brought her into the story too, I won't bring Kensuke, Touji or Asuka into the fray... that'd really be pushing it. :)

**Chris Oddland:** I agree with you there. Kaworu will pretty much have the same personality in this fic as he did in NGE. He'll be treating all the other residents with respect, but Keitaro and Shinobu in particular. He'll also be a 'playmate' for Su... what am I letting him in for? Motoko and Naru... well, let's just say they won't be lightening up to the poor boy anytime soon... :D

**Zefrn:** Glad you like it so far, but the spacing errors aren't down to me. Whenever I type it out in WordPad, there are no words joined together, e.g. 'surelyyou', 'howdid'. These errors seem to crop up whenever I use that damned QuickEdit to use the horizontal rule tool.

**Godsbane:** I'm pleased you like it, though I wouldn't go so far as to say it was excellent. I'm nowhere near _that_ good. ;)

If Kaworu seems a bit too knowledgeable and OOC, let me know. The only reason I've made him the way he appears in this chapter is because of the way I have perceived him to be from the anime, and from other Evangelion fics I have read, e.g. 'Chances Taken' by Random1377 and 'Divided We Fall' by Hotwire. Also, if you've ever seen the Director's Cut of Episode 24, you'll see the part where Kaworu is talking to the black monoliths that make up the people of SEELE. After they disappear, you'll see Misato watching him through a pair of binoculars - from about two miles away or something like that - and he still sees where she is by turning around and looking in her exact direction.

All feedback is welcome.


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